The Yorkton Cardinals lost a critical Western Major Baseball League game Monday, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Weyburn Beavers at Jubilee Park in Yorkton.
Weyburn scored three in three in the fourth inning off Cardinal starter Stuart Pudenz, and added one in the fifth to take a lead they would not relinquish. Pudenz would go six allowing four runs, three of those earned, on nine hits. He struck out nine.
Yorkton would get one back in the sixth and another in the seventh, but it would not be enough.Duncan McAlpine had three hits and an RBI on offence for Yorkton.
The loss drops the Cardinal record to 11-17 in the season, eight games behind Regina who lead the WMBL East Division, and seven games back of second place Melville. Yorkton is now only one game ahead of last place Weyburn.
Medicine Hat pairThe Medicine Hat Mavericks visited Jubilee Park for a pair of games, playing Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Friday was a defensive struggle with the Mavericks scoring the only run of the game in the ninth for a 1-0 win.
Yorkton's offence sputtered on the night, managing only four hits.
The loss squandered a strong performance from Cardinal starter Jeff Chase who tossed six innings, striking out 11. Sunday errors proved costly to the Cardinals as starter Kenny Kissell gave up three runs, none of them earned as the Mavs won 4-1.
Yorkton did manage nine hits off Medicine Hat starter Nathan Gonzalez. Gonzalez would strikeout 10 on his way to a complete game win, allowing only one run in the eighth. When Cardinal manager Bill Sobkow was asked about the team's struggling offence after Sunday's loss, he replied "maybe we should pray."
Sobkow said the lack of offence is frustrating given how well the pitching staff is doing.
"Our pitching is getting it done night after night," he said. "Now our offence has to get it done too."Sobkow said it hasn't helped the Cardinals have been facing the elite pitchers on th other team of late."We've got to get into the bullpen of some of these teams."
Loss in Moose JawThe Cardinals lost a 9-4 decision in Moose Jaw Saturday.Yorkton led 2-0 until they gave up four in the sixth, two in the seventh, and three in the eighth for the win.
Max McDonald took the loss on the mound for Yorkton, starting and throwing six, giving up the four runs on eight hits and six strikeouts.
The Cardinal offence did strike first in Moose Jaw, but Sobkow said they couldn't maintain the advantage.
"We got up 2-0, and then we can't hold them. Our pitching falters," he said.
Win over IndiansThursday the Cardinals hosted Swift Current, a team which has perennially been tough on Yorkton.Yorkton scored in the fourth and sixth innings to take a 2-0 lead, then added two in the eighth after the Indians had scored one in the top half of the frame for a 4-1 hometown lead.
Swift Current showed why they have been so tough, coming back with a pair in the ninth to make it close, but the Cardinals held on for a 4-3 win.
Stephen Johnson started for Yorkton, and pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, while striking out six.
